STAR briefings: Hyde Park, Poughkeepsie

Briefings on the new registration for School Tax Relief, or STAR, property-tax breaks for homeowners are planned at two local meetings, according to a state Department of Taxation and Finance spokesman.

An agency representative will attend the Poughkeepsie Town Board meeting at 7 tonight at Town Hall, 1 Overrocker Road.

Another appearance is planned for 7 p.m. Monday at the Hyde Park Town Board meeting at Town Hall, 4383 Route 9.

Spokesman Cary Ziter said homeowners must register with the tax department to continue to get their Basic STAR exemption next year.

Mailings have been done to homeowners in the Hudson Valley region. The deadline is Dec. 31.

Seniors with lower income who get the Enhanced STAR exemptions are not affected by this, but must continue to follow the rules for applying annually as before or participating in the state's Income Verification Program.

Questions can be called into 518-457-2036.

No drugs, alcohol in fatal Mich. crash

A Michigan car accident that left an 18-year-old Putnam County man dead and a 19-year-old Hopewell Junction man recovering in a rehabilitation hospital was not caused by drugs or alcohol, according to Zeeland, Mich., police.

Steven M. D'Ottavio of Brewster ran a flashing red light and was struck by another vehicle Aug. 20, shorty after 1 a.m.

He was pronounced dead at the scene.

A toxicology report says no alcohol or drugs were in D'Ottavio's system, he didn't have a contributing medical condition when he crashed and there is no evidence he was speeding, Zeeland Police Chief William Olney told The Journal News on Tuesday.

D'Ottavio's passenger, Andrew Holbrook of Hopewell Junction, was initially in a medically induced coma at Spectrum Health in Grand Rapids but is now in a rehabilitation hospital in Michigan.

D'Ottavio, who also used to live in Hopewell Junction, was visiting Holbrook at college.

Brothers face prison in heroin case

Two brothers from Pawling face prison time when they are sentenced Oct. 16 for heroin possession with the intent to sell, Dutchess County Court officials said.

Jeremy D. Sica, 31, and Luke Sica, 28, both of the Village of Pawling, pleaded guilty before Judge Stephen L. Greller to third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, a felony, court records show. The brothers admitted they possessed more than 200 bags of heroin with the intent to sell the drugs in the Village and Town of Pawling, court officials said.

Court officials said the brothers were charged for selling the drugs to an undercover member of the Dutchess County Drug Task Force.

Luke Sica was promised a sentence of four years in state prison, plus two years' post-release supervision.

The brothers agreed to forfeit drug paraphernalia - including packaging materials - and cash that police found when they executed a search warrant at a Smith Street apartment in April 2012, court officials said.

Man faces 10 years in cocaine sales

Roger McCauley, 47, pleaded guilty to three counts of third-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance, a felony, court records show. In exchange for his plea, Judge Stephen L. Greller promised to sentence him to 10 years in state prison, plus three years' post-release supervision.

McCauley admitted he brought thousands of dollars of powder cocaine and crack cocaine a week into the City of Poughkeepsie to sell.

He admitted he sold cocaine to undercover state police officers on three occasions in the Town of Dover.